Phones 4u brings in Logicalis to build a more agile core network

Phones 4u has gone to Logicalis to build an improved core network infrastructure.

Phones 4u has gone to Logicalis to build an improved core network infrastructure.

Replacing an ageing infrastructure, the new network underpins customer-facing and back-office operations at Phones 4u, and provides the agility to easily move and scale IT services to support continued business growth, the company said.

Phones 4u's previous infrastructure was based on a flat network with no access switches or integration layer.

Dave Robertson, head of IT services at Phones 4u, said: "It's fair to say we'd neglected our infrastructure and network in the past in favour of front-end platform and services. With our core switches reaching end of life we were presented with the perfect opportunity to change that."

"We've now seamlessly migrated all our services to a new infrastructure in which we have full visibility, because, believe it or not, previously we didn't know what was plugged into our core switches or where."

The new network will make it easier to add, move, scale and change services as the company changes, said Robertson.

Logicalis designed and integrated a network based on Cisco technology including access, integration and core switches. Everything from point-of-sale across 680 high-street stores, customer service and call centre applications, through to CRM, finance and HR systems were all migrated as part of the project.

"As we didn't know what was plugged into what, it was layered with risk. Logicalis worked to ensure that we moved the servers without any impact on the business users," Robertson said.

He said the new network would also help support any Phones 4u corporate servers moving into the cloud in the future.